Taguar

Physical Description

   Taguar  stand between 8' to 10’ and weigh 1,050 pounds. They are very  powerfully muscled, are hairless, and have a single dark silver or mauve  eye in the center of their forehead. These cyclops of the underworld  are dark skinned ranging in color from a deep charcoal gray to a deep  red-brown. They have thick skulls with a jutting eyebrow ridge, a wide  jaw and thick cheek bones.  Both male and females decorate themselves  with jewelry.  Most commonly these are nose or ear rings.

      Males  typically wear only leather pants and a simple cloth short that vary in  colors from maroon to deep purple or blue. Females are more elaborate on  their choice of clothing preferring, they tend to wear short cloth  skirts, long sleeved shirts and leather vests.

     Both male and  female Taguar are hairless, but only the males tattoo their bodies with  contrasting colors, giving them a more sinister look. Taguar of both  sexes are encountered outside the lair or keep. They prefer to travel in  pairs, either male and female or any combination of the two. Typically,  those of the same sex are brothers or sisters that have left the house  to explore the world around them. Taguar live for several hundred years.  When they reach their more advanced years Taguar separate themselves  from their respective clan and go live a solitary life until they die.  Many believe that the Taguar are related to the Fhen Khanur of the  surface world.

 Personality

       Taguar as a species tend to be warm, open and empathic towards each  other and for a great majority of those that call the depths of Tav Aeduhn.  However, as a result of their choice of the regions that they  inhabit, they have a deep sense of mistrust to the unknown and the  strange. Trust is not easily given to anyone from outside their  individual clans.  They tend to be extremely cautious when contacting or  interacting with new groups, and tend to watch all those around them  with suspicion.  This attitudes are justified by the harsh environ of  the Tav Aeduhn.

     They are a hardworking species that are wholly  dedicated to their farms and ranches, as well as to any task that they  set themselves to.  Once the Taguar have developed a relationship with a  group or an individual they find them to be open, caring, and kind.  On  first meeting, however, the Taguar can come across as overly serious in  their tireless pursuit of excellence in their every day lives.

      Taguar have an insatiable curiosity and craftiness, it is this trait  more than anything else that has lead many Taguar to leave the safety of  their clans and upbringing to go and explore the wide world around  them, including the surface and beyond.

Languages and Names

      Taguar speak Ta-chun, a variant and older form of Fak-chun that is  spoken by the Fhen Khanur.  It is a deep chested sound, but also  includes 'click' sounds that are used for emphasis on words of emotion.   Taguar also tend to learn common and Jhug Tak.

Cultural Kin and Communities

       Living in the deep reaches and remote locales of Tav Aeduhn  (DeepLands) the Taguar have made a living and rustic culture living off  the wild plants and animals of the underground. The harsh conditions of  life in the Tav Aeduhn have shaped the Taguar society, like all Tav  Aeduhn species, in a number of ways.  As a species the Taguar prefer to  live in small clans of 50-100 individuals with only a set of parents and  a few young, teenagers and young adults who are typical told to leave  the clan to form their own clans and establish their farms and ranches.   As familial clans they tend to live close by and continue to share in  each other clan lives. 

    Their settlements are usually centered in a  large cavern, often with a stream or underground river running through  it or very close by.   This is further surrounded by an interlocking set  of tunnels and other smaller caverns that are used as a way to help  secure the central cavern from attack by outsiders.  These settlements  tend to be large villages with several hundred buildings that are  typically found in surface villages.  Most families share a large home  built from cut stone and dried mushroom planks.       As a species  Taguar are hard-working but joyful people, taking time to relax and let  off steam.  These is often done  through competitive sports and games.  Almost instinctively Taguar keep score about everything they  do,  especially when comes to comrades and family, it comes to them as easily  as breathing.  Because the various clans rely on each member to give  its utmost effort to survive within the depths, they hold few, if any  grudges. 

Taguar Features 

Species Merit Cost: 1200 

Age: 12-20, live to be over 250 years 

Weight: Base 950 plus 2d10x10 

Size: Taguar tend to be large creatures, (7 to 12 Feet) 

Vision: Taguar have Heightened Nightvision 

Move: Base Move of 30 feet per Movement Action 

Languages: Taguar begin play speaking Ta-chun (Taguar Common), Common and Jhug Tak 

Resistances: +20 to Fear Checks and Horror Checks 

Taguar Bonuses: +15 Alertness checks, Immune to natural disease, +20 Fatigue Points 

Taguar Attribute Modifiers: +10 to any two: Strength, Stamina, Intelligence, Willpower

Taguar Traits: Know Direction.   All Taguar are born with an innate sense to know exactly which way is  "north" and up no matter their current location, including in other  planes.  They just have a unique way of not getting lost. 

Terra Sense.  As as Simple Action and so long as a Taguar is able to touch the earth  and stone around them, they are able to get a sense of their  surroundings and able to determine within a 10' radius (+5 feet per 3  ranks to a maximum of 30' radius) the number of beings, the direction of  them. They may also determine the strength of stone (including walls),  and earth in the area as well as determine other basic information (such  as is there a nearby pool of water, a stream, earth burrowing  creatures, etc). 

Species Abilities Taguar  begin play with two of the following abilities: Affable, Ancient  Memories, Bond to the Land, Burst of Speed, Create Totem, Endurance,  Focused Mind, Guardian 

Species Abilities

 Affable:  You have that certain something that makes you even more likable.  Anytime you attempt to influence (typically this includes Convince, Gaming, Haggle, Interrogate, or Leadership) other beings can make this  check twice and take the better result of the two. Additionally,  non-player character dispositions towards you always start off one level  better than normal (for example, hostile changes to unfriendly). 

Ancient Memories:  You have a strong tie to the ancient wisdom and knowledge of the world  and your ancestors. You gain four Lore skills, which also receive a +10  bonus to these skills.

Bond to the Land: Choose one of  the following terrain types: Aquatic, Desert, Forest, Hills, Mountains,  Plains, Swamp or Underground. So long as you are in this specified  terrain you gain a +10 bonus to all skills dealing with Evade, Lore  (Specific Region), Navigation, Search, Stealth, Survival, and Tracking. 

Burst of Speed: Once per day per their Stamina Modifier (Maximum 5 times) they gain +15 to their Movement. 

Create Totem: Connected to to ancestral spirits you gain Totem Magic for free. 

Endurance:  Taguar are more athletic than normal and gain +20 bonus on any Stamina  checks to avoid exhaustion, as well as, the effects of forced marches,  starvation, dehydration and conditions in heat or cold. They also do not  suffer Fatigue Loss for moving faster than normal (hustling, running,  sprinting). 

Focused Mind: You gain +10  cumulative bonus for every hour you concentrate on any next non-combat  skill check. You may only focus for 1/2 your Stamina modifier in hours  to gain this bonus. During combat as a Simple Action you gain +10 bonus  to any next non-attribute check that you make. 

Guardian:  Most Taguar have a natural desire to protect others when they can. You  can move swiftly (twice your normal movement) to defend an ally,  blocking blows and disrupting foes. The creature gains a +15 bonus to  its Physical Defense if it is defending a nearby ally that is within  double its normal movement rate. This can be used three times per day.